Tuesday, August 7

Jonathan Richman performs at the Roxie Film Center [San Francisco] for the OPENING NIGHT SCREENING on Aug. 31 @ 8:00PM.

REVOLUTION SUMMER, the feature debut from filmmaker Miles Montalbano, is a portrait of three restless young urbanites searching for meaning in love, sex, drugs, and political rebellion. Directed with a nod to the French New Wave, this Bay Area DIY production imagines a trio of responses to the current repressive climate. A sexy, dangerous drama that dances on the razor's edge between anomie and violence starring Mackenzie Firgens, Samuel Child, and Lauren Fox. Jonathan Richman composed the original soundtrack, and will perform live at the Roxie with drummer Tommy Larkins following the 8:00pm opening night screening.

Mackenzie Firgens as Hope (Photo by Liz Ross)

Opens Friday Aug. 31 through Thursday Sept. 06 at the Roxie Film Center, 3117 16th St. San Francisco (415) 863-1087.Co-presented by Film Arts Foundation and Noise Pop.

Jonathan Richman in person: Aug.31!! Filmmaker Miles Matthew Montalbano’s feature debut is the most open-hearted and open-minded political portrait to come down the pike in ages. Written under the influence of Bush’s Iraqatastrophe and the Vietnam War–era landmarks Medium Cool and Zabriskie Point, and directed with a nod to the French New Wave, this Bay Area DIY production imagines a trio of responses to the current repressive climate. Mackenzie Firgens gives a screen-melting, star-making performance as the aptly named Hope, a young woman with an undercurrent of vague idealism, an abundance of common sense and no real direction. Her best friend, Francine (a bold, brave turn by Lauren Fox), dismisses any discussion of philosophy and meaning in favor of a live-for-today frenzy of drugs, sex and more drugs. When Hope hooks up with Frankie (Samuel Child), an earnest, likable fellow who’s signed on to a subversive plot to attack an unknown target, the stakes are kicked up a few notches. Brimming with restless energy and a palpable intelligence, and driven by Christian Bruno and K.C. Smith’s probing camerawork, Revolution Summer is an up-close and deeply personal meditation on individual responsibility in the modern age. A provocation spawned by an extraordinarily deep conviction, the film is nonetheless the antithesis of a self-indulgent screed. It abounds with countless small pleasures, from the tasty, spare soundtrack by Jonathan Richman, to gritty glimpses of San Francisco and Oakland, to a tongue-in-cheek cameo by rocker Chuck Prophet. With this sexy, dangerous drama that dances on the razor’s edge between anomie and violence, Montalbano announces himself as a filmmaker to watch. Written, directed & produced by Miles Matthew Montalbano. With Mackenzie Firgens, Samuel Child, Lauren Fox, Zak Kilberg, Ari Gold, Amanda Foreman, Chuck Prophet. USA, 2007, 80 minutes.

Jonathan Richman will play with his drummer Tommy Larkins opening night, August 31!!!

Iggy Pop, who turned 60 in April, was the most anticipated act at FRF '07. At four years Iggy's junior, Jonathan Richman had enough steam to play three sets on three stages. Both men are cited as punk progenitors, but their careers couldn't have diverged more. Iggy still works the self-destructive rocker thing, while former Modern Lover Richman renounced electricity in the mid-'70s, opting for what sounded like children's music.

Richman's show at the Field of Heaven was steeped in nostalgia — for his native New England, for public plazas, for a certain European model of sophistication (songs sung in flawless French and Italian). But it was also there in his irrepressible style, the one performance-related constant of his career. In the middle of a verse, he'd drop his acoustic guitar and execute some curious dance moves or shake his jingle bells (literally). Richman has always been nostalgic, but it was startling to hear him play three songs — "Old World," "Girlfriend" and "Pablo Picasso" — from that formative phase he once so vehemently rejected. The audience didn't care. Richman's past isn't important. They love him for what he is right now, and they heartily requested an encore.

He doesn’t really worry too much about hitting all his notes, and would be as content to clap along to the drummer for two minutes as to play another song. Further, at the two shows I saw of his here at least, he didn’t talk much, but he communicates everything he needs to with his face. I got the feeling the party in his head was much better than party the rest of us were experiencing. (read the rest here)

-- kern, in "Jonathan Richman Rapscalion"

But the most revealing song was one I never heard. "And then soon came 50," he sang, "just like 1-2-3." Jonathan must be sick of being always described as boyish, innocent, naive, but he still wants to remain young at heart. "Why did we come down to earth if not to make mistakes?" he said. And it was his sincerity that communicated to the audience, which had become quite huge (and quiet) by the time he got to the song that elicited the biggest reaction, "Dancing in the Lesbian Bar." Standing up front, noticed a bunch of youngish, partly bearded faces suddenly appear stage left. It was the Shins, who had just finished their set at the White Stage and apparently rushed over to catch the end of Jonathan's set. They got a special treat: an encore. The audience just wouldn't let him go and he returned to do a heartbreaking version of "Not So Much to Be Loved As to Love." He obviously didn't want to go away. Every concert adds to his nostalgia. (read the rest here)

-- phil, in "Surrender to Jonathan - To be loved"

"Soon came 50, then 54 ... I'm not 19 anymore"

Jonathan Richman may admit his age, but that don't stop him singing about Girlfriends. It's innocence. (read the rest here)

-- donald, in "Jonathan Richman Perennially young"

Still, it was a gem of a performance. Jonathan played few complete songs, and the snippets of his hits, which included "Dancing at the Lesbian Bar" and "Egyptian Reggae," were often interrupted by sudden bursts of dancing and percussion playing, not to mention Jojo's bursts of physical sincerity, which is embodied by him dropping his guitar, opening his arms wide and raising his voice in a cappella ecstasy. He even did a bit of "Pablo Picasso," which was weird and special because he's famous for refusing to do anything from his electric Modern Lovers era. Maybe he'll do a longer version at his Heaven performance tomorrow. Despite the sound problems, the audience almost refused to let him go, and he tried to placate them with a few more shakes of the jingle bells and some Jonathan gestures. It wasn't enough, and never is. (read the rest here)

The former Modern Lover is scheduled to make three official appearances at this year's fest, which is notable considering Jojo's famous reluctance to outstay his welcome.

Maybe it's all the birds and the insects and the general nature thing. (Still, one of the gigs is a midnight set in the Palace tent, a place one could hardly call pastoral.) In any case, as eternally boyish as he is, Jonathan is 56 this year, which means there may not be that many more opportunities to see him do his unique thing, at least not in Japan (to paraphrase a line from "Pablo Picasso"). As everyone knows, he doesn't do his electric Modern Lovers stuff any more--hasn't, in fact, since 1974--but the spirit of rock'n roll is still there in his jaunty outlook, his very underrated guitar work, his amazingly heartfelt delivery, and his wicked dance steps. (read the rest)

Wednesday, August 1

In 1991, Jonathan Richman was prevailed upon to provide a sleevenote for his new album, Having a Party With Jonathan Richman. "Once in a while a record comes along that is such a departure from the normal style of a singer that some explanation is in order," he grandly began. "This record is not one of those. As far as I can tell, the style of singing, the melodies and the lyrics are a lot like what I've been doing for the last 10 years."

You couldn't fault him for honesty, even if his timekeeping was a little out: it was a lot like every other album Jonathan Richman had made since 1976 and it's not vastly different to those he's released in the subsequent 15 years. Devotees can spend hours discussing the more pensive tone of 1995's You Must Ask the Heart compared to the more straightforward exuberance of the preceding I, Jonathan, but to the untrained ear, they all sound much the same: simple three-chord songs, sparsely arranged, with lyrics that are either whimsical or touching, sung with utter sincerity in Richman's distinctively adenoidal voice. Even when he sings in Spanish (1994's Jonathan, Te Vas A Emocionar!) or employs a crack team of Nashville musicians to back him (1990's Jonathan Goes Country), it all just sounds like Jonathan Richman. With his latterday career, you either get it or you don't.

The same is not true of his earliest recordings. Cobbled together in 1976 from various early 70s demos, The Modern Lovers is one of the all-time great debut albums: a ferocious, unimpeachable collection of nakedly emotional Velvet Underground-inspired rock. To understand how bravely out of step the original Modern Lovers were, hear Live at the Longbranch and More, or Precise Modern Lovers Order, both recorded before audibly bewildered audiences between 1971 and 1973: Richman's a cappella set-closer, Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste remains almost unbearably moving.

By the time their demos were released, the original Modern Lovers had broken up: the band that now bore their name had largely ditched the angst of old in favour of rough, acoustic rock'n'roll and childlike songs about abominable snowmen and Martians. 1977's Rock and Roll With the Modern Lovers is notable both for Richman's biggest hit, the instrumental Egyptian Reggae, and for its bizarre sound quality, the result of recording in the studio toilets. A budget compilation, Roadrunner, mops up B-sides and compilation tracks, among them the eight-minute acoustic version of Roadrunner.

From then on, you can pretty much take your pick. The albums he recorded after signing to Neil Young's Vapour label in 1996 have a slightly fuller sound, while frustratingly, all the albums from his 80s purple patch - Jonathan Sings!, Rockin' and Romance, It's Time for Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers and Modern Lovers '88 - are long out of print. Richman's curious habit of blithely rerecording songs he has already released means you don't have to resort to eBay to hear the magical When I Dance (it turned up again on 1998's I'm So Confused), or his exuberant tribute to Vincent van Gogh - "the baddest painter since Jan Vermeer!" - which reappeared on his most recent album, 2004's Not So Much to Be Loved As to Love. That said, a lot of great tracks are still missing in action.

Disclaimer

Jojoblog is maintained with respect by fans for fans. Jonathan Richman does not use the internet or own a computer. Any communication from him to the Jojoblog community is sent through his publicist, Debbie Gulyas of Blue Arrow Records.